1. Field
The described technology relates generally to a rechargeable battery having a curved case.
2. Description of the Related Art
A rechargeable battery (i.e., a secondary battery) is a battery which is designed to be repeatedly charged and discharged, unlike a primary battery. A small-capacity rechargeable battery is used in small, portable electronic devices, such as a mobile phone, a notebook computer, and a camcorder, and a large-capacity rechargeable battery is used as a motor-driving power supply, such as in an electric bicycle, a scooter, an electric vehicle, or a fork lift.
The rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly wound, for example, in a jelly roll form in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are stacked, having a separator therebetween, a case having the electrode assembly and an electrolytic solution received therein, a cap plate encapsulating (e.g., sealing) an opening on one side of the case, and an electrode terminal mounted on a cap plate to be electrically coupled to (e.g., electrically connected to) the electrode assembly.
An electronic device may have a curved shape and, thus, a rechargeable battery having a curved shape may be suitable for such electron device. For example, the rechargeable battery may be formed in a state in which the case is curved toward one side. In this case, the case may have a concavely curved portion and a convexly curved portion in the state in which the case is curved.
When the rechargeable battery having the curved case is charged, the concavely curved portion of the case may not maintain the curved state and may expand. That is, an entire thickness of the rechargeable battery between the concavely curved portion and the convexly curved portion of the case may increase due to deformation (e.g., expansion) of the concavely curved portion.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.